Bel Canto by Ann Patchett Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Bel Canto
Book Review: Crushed!
Summary: 2 Stars
I fell into this book after reading some drivel by James Patterson so I was doubly revived by the lyrical writing, vivid descriptions and actual literature of this book. I was drawn in and began to read more slowly to appreciate every sentence and was rewarded with characters whose inner longings had nothing to do with the roles they played every day. They had depth and beauty and I never hurried through one to get to another, I loved them all. When everyone is finally allowed to go outside I felt the breeze on my face and the grass under my feet and the freedom of simply breathing fresh air. I knew it could not end well for everyone and as the end drew closer I was in a panic as to who would survive and what would survive inside them. As the outside forces moved in I began to cry as each character met his or her fate.
And then within seconds of the beginning of this dance of death it was over, no eulogies were given to any of the dead or life to any of the living. It was over and then there was this preposterous epilogue that made no sense, was in no way fulfilling and I felt that every single character had been betrayed and that I had been duped as well. It was as if the author realized her book was due in 30 minutes and so just ended it and ran to the FedEx box.
So sad. I had hoped for more. I will read Ann Patchett again because what was good was so very good but not with such joy.
Book Review: Decent beginning, very weak ending
Summary: 2 Stars
The good: The book started pretty decently and I was engaged. Ms. Patchett seems to be an accomplished and skilled writer. She did a decent job initially of building the story and characters around opera, music and language.
The bad: The story. Though it has a decent beginning, the story wore thin fairly quickly. The premise of the book - the taking of a bunch of foreign hostages by what turned out to be totally inept "terrorists", followed by the unlikely development of romantic relationships during the extremely prolonged hostage event (think Stockholm Syndrome to the max) - was just too much, way over the top, unbelievable, noncredible and dysfunctional. There's no way the story could withstand the 300+ pages in length - too many pages and not enough substance to fill them without excessive repetition, pontification and drivel. By the time I was 1/2 the way through I just wanted it to be over. There was too much repetition of thought as the different characters (of which there was a handful of primary characters and too many supporting characters, what with 50+ hostages and the numerous captors) professed their love of opera, the opera singer, music, each other and other things they loved. Honestly, the story started to remind me of a movie that is three hours long and 1 1/2 hours too long. The first half was a worthy effort but the second 1 1/2 hours were wasted time, full of content that should have hit the editing room floor. By the time I was through half of the story I had started "watching the clock" and thinking it was about time to end this show, wondering why the editor didn't cut a few scenes (starting with the epilogue) to shorten it up so as to be a palatable length.
The ugly: The epilogue. It was a very, very odd and misplaced twist to the story subsequent to the final tragic events. There was no previous lead up, no development, no prior hint or foreshadowing that such an occurrence could or should take place, or was even remotely possible. It's a totally misguided and out-of-place closing; an extremely weak ending; the final nail of disappointment in this story's coffin.
In the spirit of a glass-half-full, I give two stars because I think Ms. Patchett is probably an outstanding writer and certainly she was technically good in this book, but in the end the story itself was a dud. Save yourself some time and find something else to read, as there's plenty of material much better than this book. If you're really desperate for something to do, pulling your fingernails out with pliers while watching the grass grow will likely give you greater and less painful entertainment than reading this book.
Book Review: Delicious language, worth every moment.
Summary: 4 Stars
Patchett's use of language is a joy and I'll hold this wonderful story close to my heart for a long time. This gifted writer created a sense of time and place in the lives of these unlikely bedfellows that transcended my expectations, surprised me and moved me. What a delight. I'll be wrapping this book in beautiful paper and giving it to those who appreciate beautiful things.Book Review: Different entertaining plot
Summary: 5 Stars
I haven't finished the book yet, however, I must admit I am finding it a unique story, very well written. Quite a different pace from other novels. Recommend its light and interesting reading. So many different characters slowly uniting in feelings while surviving in an unusual hostage modern situation. Looking forward to the next chapter and learning what Ms Patchett's vivid imagination describes so eloquently.
Book Review: Don't Bother!
Summary: 1 Stars
I HAD to read this book as a book club selection last month. I couldn't wait for it to end. Seemed to drag on and on. As for the ending, it just made no sense. Haven't read any of her other books, maybe I should just to see if she can do better.